Baseball Talk Philadelphia

Spring Training

March 26, 2015

After discovering that he had the same injury that Cliff Lee has last week, Phillies reliever Mario Hollands will likely undergo surgery to repair the tear in his common flexor tendon. Hollands first experienced something wrong in September that caused his season to end early.

In an update from Todd Zolecki of Phillies.com, he reports that Hollands saw the team doctor Michael Ciccotti this week and that surgery is the recommended option. The left-handers' first attempt at rehab failed, as shown by the news of his tear this spring. Zolecki mentions that he has two other options. He could rest or explore Platelet-Rich Plasma injections.

“I wanted to do the PRP and rest because I wanted to help the team this year. I wanted to play,” Hollands said. “That’s still in my head because I want to play so bad, but I am a little worried because it’s the second time so I don’t know if rest or PRP will be the only solution. So surgery, I’m thinking about it pretty hard.”

Hollands will meet with Dr. James Andrews to get a second opinion. Obviously, it seems as if rest is off the table for the young reliever, so surgery may be the only way to solve the problem once and for all.

“It would be heartbreaking if it came back again after rest,” Hollands said.

In that sense, surgery might be the safest option.

“That’ll help just seal it up and hopefully it will never be a problem again,” Hollands said.

Last season, Hollands posted a 2-2 record and a 4.40 ERA in 50 games for the Phillies. With his injury, Rule-5 pick Andy Oliver along with Jeanmar Gomez have a much better chance at starting the year in the Phillies bullpen. He had struggled in five appearances this spring, allowing seven runs on ten hits in just 5 1/3 innings.

I know that the Phillies are an older team, but the injury issues in this system are absurd. Who is actually going to make it to Opening Day? The full gambit of Cliff Lee (old end) to J.P. Crawford (prospect end) are hurt already. You have to wonder why things are so bad.

The roster they had was a 60-70 win roster pre-injuries. With the injuries, things could get really ugly, really fast. Who will play for this team come the season opener? The Phillies are probably holding their breath through the remainder of this Spring.

March 22, 2015

Today is Sunday March 22nd, and in about two weeks, baseball will begin up North here. It might not seem so close, with the snow on the ground and all, but it is. This means roster decisions are now heating up, and who ends up in Philadelphia or AAA is now being decided.

For some players, they must make the big league squad. Odubel Herrera and Andy Oliver have to make it because they are Rule-5 players, and if they don't, they have to be offered back to their parent clubs. Justin De Fratus and Freddy Galvis are out of options, but seem very safe. Cesar Hernandez and Phillippe Aumont have less security, and they are out of options.

Then there are the players on the 40-man roster who may be roster casualties if they don't make the team, but aren't on the list above. Think Jordan Danks. Think Hector Neris. Think Luis Garcia. While these players can be re-assigned to AAA, they aren't really prospects, so they need to make the team.

Next, think about the non-roster invitees. Some of these players might accept a AAA assignment on their minor league deal, and some might be released. Notably here, think of Jeff Francoeur, Jeanmar Gomez, Cesar Jimenez, Kevin Slowey, Koyie Hill, Andres Blanco and Paul Clemens. You hope you can keep these guys, because even if they don't make your big league club, they are good depth and make for good times at IronPigs games.

Of course, don't forget about the injuries impacting the roster. Cliff Lee and Chad Billingsley are absolutely DL bound to start the year. This week is huge for Jerome Williams and Aaron Harang. Mario Hollands had an MRI yesterday on his elbow, but things don't sound good. Dom Brown will miss at least this week, and that could impact his status. Chase Utley finally played the field yesterday, but I wouldn't say he's a total lock. Injuries are going to make a huge impact.

So after all of this, finally remember this- five rotation slots, eight line-up slots, seven relief slots, and five bench slots. That's what you have to work with. Here's my major league outlook:

Rotation- Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Chad Billingsley, Aaron Harang, and David Buchanan are the depth chart top five, but only three of them project to head North right now, with Billingsley possibly joining them around the start of May. Jerome Williams projects as the swing-man, but clearly is the five if he's healthy, something we'll learn more about with today's start. Hamels, Harang, Buchanan, and Williams take the first four spots heading North, leaving one spot left. Kevin Slowey, Paul Clemens, Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, and Jonathan Pettibone remain in camp, but disqualify Pettibone now, who my sense is will start the season on a rehab assignment before being optioned to Lehigh Valley. If I had to guess right now, Kevin Slowey will win the fifth slot.

Line-Up- There are plenty of spots that are locks, but then there are spots that are only now becoming clear, or unclear. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Carlos Ruiz will play first, second, and catcher. With Maikel Franco sent to AAA, Cody Asche will play third base. Freddy Galvis appears to have won the shortstop job by default, giving us a full bullpen. Prior to yesterday, I would have said Ben Revere is the center fielder, but he did play left field yesterday, and my projected left fielder Odubel Herrera played center field, meaning they could go either way, but I would still project both to be in the line-up. I'm going to keep Dom Brown down as the right-fielder for now, since they say his achilles will only keep him out a week, but I do have my doubts both about his health and performance. If for any reason it's not him, I'm betting on Darin Ruf, who I think will get substantial at-bats in left and at first base, in addition to right field, to the point this season that he's practically a ninth starter (unless he doesn't hit at all). My batting order is Revere-LF, Herrera-CF, Utley-2B, Howard-1B, Brown-RF, Ruiz-C, Asche-3B, Galvis-SS.

Bullpen- So there are the obvious here- Jonathan Papelbon will close, Ken Giles and Jake Diekman will be the righty and lefty set-up men, Justin De Fratus will be the primary seventh inning guy. After that, pass the popcorn. Mario Hollands was a guy I thought would make this team, but his elbow issue worries me a lot now, and I don't think he starts the season up. I thought for sure that Elvis Araujo had thrown well enough to make the team, but they optioned him this week, so he's out. Andy Oliver, the Rule-5 pick, seems like he's going to come north to me, after a decent enough Spring, and all the injury issues. This leaves two spots. Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is the big winner I guess, probably making it as some sort of seventh inning/long-man hybrid. This leaves one last spot. Luis Garcia, Hector Neris, and Phillippe Aumont are all on the 40-man roster and still in camp. Cesar Jimenez is in camp, and has an MLB deal this year, but is not on the 40-man because he was optioned over the Winter. Jeanmar Gomez and Seth Rosin are still around too, as is Paul Clemens I suppose. I believe Aumont will be given every chance to win a spot, but will be cut, which opens up a 40 man spot on this team (technically they have a spot open because Lee is on the 60-Day DL too). I'm going to bet on Luis Garcia edging out Jimenez for now.

Bench- Finally, the last five spots. Pencil in Darin Ruf as a near lock with all the at-bats he's getting. Pencil in Grady Sizemore as a strong lock too in the outfield. Beyond this, the Phillies have to pick a back-up catcher between Cameron Rupp and Koyie Hill, a utility infielder between Cesar Hernandez and Andres Blanco, and one final spot between any of these players and Jeff Francoeur, Jordan Danks, Brian Bogusevic and the rest of the non-roster guys. Now, with Lee on the 60-Day DL, and Aumont cut, the Phillies would technically have two 40-man roster slots to hand out, but I've given one to Slowey. For that reason, I'm betting on Cameron Rupp to be the back-up catcher, and Cesar Hernandez to be the utility man, leaving one last slot, and one 40-man slot. Danks big advantage is being on the roster and having played decently this year. I still am betting Jeff Francoeur gets the first crack up with the big club though. Aumont's pain is Frenchy's gain.

March 10, 2015

With a single solo home run being the one shred of offense in yesterday's victory over the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia Phillies were starving for production. Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez took to the mound in hopes of being on the receiving end of said production.

Gonzalez allowed just a single to the Detroit Tigers lineup in the first inning. He'd give up another one in the second, but this one was followed by a two-run home run off the bat of Daniel Fields.

A third run scored in the following inning when Jose Iglesias singled off the leg of Gonzalez. Ian Kinsler had tripled to start the frame and scored the run. Miguel left the game with what was later diagnosed as a right knee contusion and replaced by Seth Rosin.

Rosin would record three outs in relief, and Sean O'Sullivan began his afternoon with two scoreless innings to follow. However, as Phillies broadcast analyst Ben Davis pointed out, O'Sullivan grew tired after throwing so many pitches. His pitches began to elevate, and two Tigers, J.D. Martinez and Steven Moya, recorded solo home runs against him.

Nefi Ogando came in to relieve O'Sullivan for 1.1 scoreless innings. Jake Diekman would go on to allow an RBI triple in the eighth to pinch hitter Wynton Bernard. Ken Giles came out to shut Detroit down in the ninth.

Unfortunately, the home squad could get nothing going all game. Ben Revere, Darin Ruf, Domonic Brown, Cord Phelps and Chris McGuiness all recorded base hits, but none came in to score. In the end, Detroit secured the victory 6-0.

Up Next: The Phillies will remain in Clearwater tomorrow afternoon when the Pittsburgh Pirates will come to town for the first Pennsylvania matchup of the Spring.

March 08, 2015

Following a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday, the Philadelphia Phillies (1-3-1) have now lost three consecutive Spring Training games. Today, they'll look to reverse that trend and repeat what they did the last time right-hander Kevin Slowey took to the mound.

This will be the first of two games these two teams will play against one another this week, as the Tampa Bay Rays (1-1-1) will head to Clearwater on Friday afternoon. Today, they'll be sending Chris Archer to start the game.

Coming into the league in 2007 with the Minnesota Twins, Kevin Slowey spent the last two seasons with the Miami Marlins. He is currently with the Phillies on a minor league contract, but very well could pitch his way on to the Opening Day roster in some capacity.

Chris Archer will be making his 2015 Spring Training debut. Since coming up to the Rays in June of 2012, Archer has found early success in his budding career.

He would finish out the rest of that season with Tampa Bay, but began 2013 with Triple A Durham. Much like in his rookie season, Archer reached the major league roster in June, finishing the season strong by becoming second runner-up in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Last season was Archer's first full one on a major league roster. Finishing with just under 200 innings pitched, the 26-year-old earned a six-year contract extension from the Rays worth $25.5 million ($43.75 million if the two options are picked up).

March 04, 2015

Well, the Phillies fought to a draw with the almost-equally hopeless Yankees in yesterday's official Spring opener, so they are unofficially 0-1-1 so far in Clearwater, 0-0-1 officially. Ryan Howard played well in the game, a good sign, and the team didn't lose. Howard even spoke positively afterwards. There was some roster news, particularly on the pitching staff front, as Chad Billingsley won't join the rotation until later in April, after the season starts. This dampens the competition for the fifth starting slot, somewhat, and creates a bullpen slot for the Phillies to play with.

Here's my roster outlook:

Rotation- Given the news on Billingsley, this rotation becomes more simple. Unless they are dealt out of Philadelphia, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are super-locks, Aaron Harang is a lock, and David Buchanan and Jerome Williams are likely to come north in the rotation. Billingsley will get DL'ed and while Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Jesse Biddle, Adam Morgan, and Joely Rodriguez are on the 40 man, they are minor league bound. Kevin Slowey is probably the most likely to compete here. Gonzalez could get a look in the bullpen.

Line-Up- Ben Revere would appear to be likely to hit lead-off and play center. Grady Sizemore got the start in left in the opener, and appears to be the lead candidate there, though he hit lower in the order (third) than I expected. Chase Utley will eventually play second and hit third. Ryan Howard did play well yesterday, and figures to be the primary first baseman hitting fourth. Carlos Ruiz DH'ed and hit fifth yesterday, though he appears to be the catcher (since there is no DH). Dom Brown moved back to right-field yesterday, and hit sixth. Cody Asche will start out at third and hit seventh. Freddy Galvis will play shortstop and hit eighth.

Bench- Right now, Cameron Rupp appears to be the back-up catcher. Darin Ruf has both played first and outfield so far, and probably makes the team to back-up in both. Cesar Hernandez played a while at second yesterday, and will be the utility man, I'm guessing. It's probably a good sign for Odubel Herrera that he came in and played center field yesterday, as I'm guessing he's the fourth outfielder type, along with Ruf. Finally, I'm guessing Jeff Francoeur has the early edge on Jordan Danks for the last spot.

Bullpen- Pencil in Jonathan Papelbon, Ken Giles, Jake Diekman, Justin de Fratus, and Mario Hollands to return to the bullpen. Then the competition gets fierce, with pitchers like Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and Ethan Martin fighting to get in. Ultimately, I think Elvis Araujo and Andy Oliver win the final two slots. Both might not stay in the organization if they don't.

February 25, 2015

The full squad finally arrived in Clearwater now, all 40 man members and the 18 non-roster invitees to camp. Baseball season has arrived! On Sunday the Phillies will play their first game (against the University of Tampa), and even with the dark days ahead, I'm excited.

Here's my look at the roster, as of right now-

The Rotation- Assume Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are in. If they are traded before Opening Day, that would be rare, but so be it. Assume Aaron Harang and Chad Billingsley are in, if they make it through the Spring healthy. Then you get to the battle for the fifth spot, a battle I see as being between David Buchanan, Jerome Williams, and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, in reality, even though others are in camp too. I am of the opinion that a good Spring means David Buchanan wins the job.

The Line-Up- Ben Revere will be back in center, leading off. Chase Utley will hit third and play second. While Ryan Howard will hit fourth and play first, I think he'll eventually be in a platoon. Dom Brown will get the chance to hit in the fifth or sixth slot and play a corner outfield slot this season, while Carlos Ruiz will catch and hit somewhere. Freddy Galvis will play shortstop and hit eighth too. That leaves in question third base, the other corner outfield slot, and who hits second. My sense is that Cody Asche will hit in the fifth or sixth slot and play third to start the season, though I wonder where he'll play later on when Maikel Franco comes up. My other sense is that Grady Sizemore will be the other corner outfield starter, at least to start.

The Bullpen- While we all wish he was gone, Jonathan Papelbon will be here, as will Ken Giles, Jake Diekman, Justin De Fratus, and Mario Hollands, barring a Spring meltdown. Jerome Williams will be the long man, as well. That leaves one spot, a spot that I think will come down to Elvis Araujo and Andy Oliver ultimately. I think the Phillies will end up keeping Elvis Araujo as the guy.

The Bench- I believe Cameron Rupp will win the back-up catching job because he's on the 40 man roster and Koyie Hill is not. I also think Darin Ruf will make the team, to ultimately take some starts at first and on the corner outfield slots, as Howard and Brown struggle. I believe Rule 5 choice Odubel Herrera will stick as the fourth outfielder this season. I think Cesar Hernandez will be the utility man, in part due to his relative versatility, and his MLB contract. This leaves one spot. I think this comes down to Jeff Francoeur and Jordan Danks, and I have Francoeur winning, right now.

February 23, 2015

Well, it's Spring Training, and the Phillies not only have to put together a big league roster, but four full-season affiliates too. Today, we're going to focus on the AAA roster, and who might be on it for the 2015 season.

If you're a partial season ticket holder like me, be excited- we're likely to see some very good players come through this year. If you're not a ticket holder, go buy some. It's gonna be a fairly fun Summer. Here's my projections for the guys coming North with the 'Pigs to open the season.

The Rotation- This could end up being a strength, or a big disappointment this season. I believe that Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez will begin the season in AAA to get some starts in and stretch out the arm before a May or June promotion to the big league team, either as a starter or reliever. I believe that Adam Morgan, coming off of a lost season to injury, will start in AAA regardless of how he does in Spring Training with the big club. I believe that Joely Rodriguez, obtained for Antonio Bastardo, will start out in AAA this season. I believe that 2013 Phillies system pitcher-of-the-year Severino Gonzalez will be the fourth starter in this rotation in a very big season for him to prove himself. I believe Sean O'Sullivan will round this group out. Later in the Summer, we may see the likes of Aaron Nola or Jesse Biddle.

The Line-Up- Want some excitement? Maikel Franco is likely to spend the first six weeks here. Pencil him in at third. Former high round pick Kelly Dugan is likely to join fellow prospects Aaron Altherr and Cam Perkins in what could be a potentially dynamic outfield. From there, expect the non-roster guys to fill in. Andres Blanco is my guess at shortstop, while Chase d'Arnaud seems like a good bet at second base, at least to start. I have Russ Canzler to return off of a very strong year for the 'Pigs, and be the first baseman. I'm penciling in Koyie Hill behind the plate.

The Bench- I have five bench slots on my projection, and the first of them will go to back-up catcher John Hester. Next, I'm predicting Tyler Green and Cord Phelps to win the back-up infield jobs. Finally, i'm predicting Xavier Paul and Darin Mastroianni to make the bench as outfielders.

The Bullpen- Luis Garcia will be back closing games for the 'Pigs, and Hector Neris will be right there with him. Ethan Martin faces a big year for him, and he'll be back in the Valley to prove himself. I'm taking the guess that Phillippe Aumont is here as well, sadly, and is joined by Cesar Jimenez, who will be paid well for AAA games. I believe that Jeanmar Gomez and Paul Clemens will fill out this roster.

While it is far too early to guess for sure, I think this is a pretty decent representation of where the IronPigs probably are before minor league camp even begins.

February 19, 2015

Well-documented has been the strenuous process of Ruben Amaro Jr. trying to find the perfect partner in hopes of trading away the services of left-hander Cole Hamels. With the team headed into a several-year-long rebuilding process, moving the 2008 World Series Most Valuable Player seems to be the most sensible way of bringing in some important building blocks. Up until yesterday, we heard very little from the organization regarding the Hamels situation. Then, an article from Bob Nightengale of USA Today surfaced, revealing Cole's feelings on the team and his future.

To summarize, the Phillies' long-time starting pitcher wants only to win in the second half of his career, and knows that that won't happen in Philadelphia. While everything he said was truthful, it was still surprising to hear Hamels say it so plainly. For more on that facet of the article, check out Erik's post from yesterday.

Later on in the article is a particular piece of information that has been somewhat ignored. Nightengale reveals that, in discussing a trade with other organizations, Ruben Amaro Jr. received a particular offer from the San Diego Padres. Said offer would have included outfielder Hunter Renfroe and catcher Austin Hedges. Obviously, Amaro denied the offer, wanting more for the Phillies' crown jewel. Initially, two prospects doesn't seem to be enough to acquire a pitcher of Hamels' caliber. However, a closer look may change some minds.

Let's first take a look at Hunter Renfroe. Despite being drafted late in the 2010 MLB Draft, Renfroe decided to go play college baseball for Mississippi State University. He won the 2013 C Spire Ferriss Trophy, given annually to Mississippi's best collegiate baseball player. Later that year, the Padres selected Renfroe with the thirteenth overall pick in the MLB Draft. Since being drafted, the 23-year-old has played for four different affiliates of the Padres, performing moderately well with each.

In 2013, Renfroe played right field for both the Eugene Emeralds and the Fort Wayne TinCaps, both Single A representatives for San Diego. With 43 total games played, he accumulated 46 hits, 14 doubles, and 6 home runs with an on-base percentage of .308 and a walk rate just under 5%. 2014 saw an overall improvement, though. Now with 129 games played (a quarter of which now in center field), 134 hits, 33 doubles, 3 triples, 21 homeruns, an OBP of .342 and a wak rate of 9.34%, all for A+ and AA teams (Lake Elsinore and San Antonio).

Philadelphia's outfield situation alone is enough to warrant Hunter coming to the Phillies organization (Renfroe, not this guy). While projections are always difficult to pinpoint, Renfroe already seems poised to be a low-mid level power bat with an escalating ability to get on base often. As far as his current ranking sits, he is Baseball America's #3 prospect in the Padres' organization, while Baseball Prospectus has him #2. MLB.com has Renfroe as the #48 prospect in all of baseball, and BP has him at #50. According to MLB's rankings, the outfielder's biggest positives are his power and arm strength, with 13 assists last season recorded. For more, check out his bio here.

The Phillies current best outfield prospect is certainly up for debate. Roman Quinn has played some of his games in center field, but has only his OBP and speed going for him currently. Kelly Dugan can get on base as well, but also seems to lack another major plus. Carlos Tocci struggles to reach a .300 OBP, and has now power to speak of. Bringing in Hunter Renfroe instantly makes him the highest rated outfield prospect in the Phillies organization.

The other rumored trade bait is catcher Austin Hedges. Hedges took a bit of a different path to the Padres' organization, signing with them during the 2011 MLB Draft out of Junipero Serra Catholic High School, despite having committed to UCLA. After being taken in the second round, Hedges, also 23 years old, jumped to the Arizona League. He'd then move up through the ranks, now having played for five different teams in the system.

In 2012, Hedges' first full season, he saw action in 96 total games for the TinCaps. With all of those games coming as the team's catcher, he collected 94 hits, with 28 doubles, 10 home runs, a .334 OBP and a 6.1% walk rate. Hedges played for three teams, Peoria Javelinas (AZFL), Lake Elsinore Storm, and San Antonio Missions, during the 2013 season. The numbers did not change much, with Hedges playing in 101 games. 93 hits, 30 doubles, just four home runs, a .333 OBP and a 8.2% made up his campaign. Just last season, though, the catcher saw a dip in production. In 113 games for SA, his hit total remained level at 96, while his doubles dropped to 19. 6 home runs remained about the same as well, but his averages saw the most significant difference. A .268 OBP is a sharp decline from the previous two seasons, and a walk rate of just 5% causes some head scratching.

Despite the drop in production, Hedges remains in high praise around baseball. He comes in at #4 on Baseball America's Top Ten Padre Prospect list, and at #1 on Baseball Prospectus'. MLB.com has him ranked #51 league-wide, while BP has him sitting at #23. With the little reliability that can be placed on such rankings, we can still see there is a general consensus that Hedges' has the chance to be a stellar major leaguer and can easily bounce back from the 2014 fallback. Taking a look at the Phillies' current situation, Carlos Ruiz will continue to start for the team in 2015. In the future, though, Cameron Rupp seems to be the current replacement, considering Tommy Joseph's struggles with concussions. The addition of such a prime catching prospect could be vital to a rebuild.

We've heard on multiple occasions that the Phillies will only make a deal with the Boston Red Sox if catcher Blake Swihart is involved. A comparison of Swihart and Hedges seems to point to Swihart being the more talented catching prospect. At such young ages, however, the possibility of either guy becoming major league All-Stars is relatively equal. Swihart seems to have the advantage mainly in on-base percentage, with the rest of the statistics hanging on the fence.

While the team may covet Swihart, what else could they realistically receive from Boston? They're already so heavily in favor of keeping him around, so if they were ever to be ready to let him go, they'd be less inclined to give up any other above-average prospect. In San Diego's case, they were prepared to not only part ways with a catcher of high praise, but an outfielder with a similar respect.

Talking prospects is always such a difficult task. Rankings and projections are hard to nail, but the discussion is always entertaining. In this case, we know Cole Hamels is on his way out of Philadelphia sooner rather than later. We don't know where quite yet, but it is in the foreseeable future. However, we do know that the Padres are willing to deal both young players, and in all honesty, should already have.

Perhaps Amaro was looking for a third name in the deal. In such a case, it isn't out of the realm of possibility to ask for someone like outfielder Will Venable, especially when you consider the fact that the Padres have acquired outfielders Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, and Wil Myers all in one offseason. Venable becomes an expendable player, one that could easily transition into the Phillies current outfield.

To wrap up my long-winded point, the reported offer from the San Diego Padres of Austin Hedges and Hunter Renfroe in a package deal for Cole Hamels, especially one that would have also included a respectable third player, should have been accepted. While the Phillies longing for Blake Swihart is understandable, they will not get much more than that from Boston. San Diego was, and presumably is still, willing to cough up two high-level prospects. The future of the Philadelphia Phillies would look quite a bit brighter with two new members of their Top Ten prospect list (and, really, their top five). One can only hope that Ruben Amaro is weaseling his way into a third player in the deal that send Cole Hamels back home.

February 18, 2015

Pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater today for the first activity of the 2015 season - spring training.

Many estimate that the Phillies will have a record-low amount of wins this year and might go as the worst team in baseball. A sad, yet somewhat true assumption. The fans know it, and even the players know it - there will not be playoff baseball in Philadelphia this season.

Among the many players speaking to the media today, Cole Hamels made it clear that he wants to win and that if he is a in a Phillies uniform, it won't happen any time soon.

"I just want to win,'' Hamels told USA TODAY Sports in his first interview since the end of the 2014 season. "That's all. That's all any competitor wants.

"And I know it's not going to happen here.

"This isn't what I expected. It's not what the Phillies expected, either.

"But it's reality.''

Hamels doesn't seem to be trash talking his team or his teammates, but rather the truth.

In 2012, Hamels signed a contract extension worth $144 million over six years. At the time he said that he wanted to spend the rest of his career as a Phillie, but fast forward two and a half seasons and the mindset has changed.

With the departure of SS Jimmy Rollins back in December and the evident re-building phase the team is about to engage, Cole Hamels knows that his days in Philly are numbered.

"I wanted to see where I was going to spend my next four years. Now that I'm here, I plan on being here for the next six weeks. I think it would be pretty chaotic if that's not the case. But it's out of my control.

"All I can do is get ready this spring, be ready for opening day, and be prepared for the long season.''

Hamels is also anticipating on pitching in October this season.

"The reason the Phillies committed a huge contract to me,'' says Hamels, "wasn't just to pitch in the regular season, but the postseason too. That's why they paid me that kind of money. They planned on being in the playoffs every year, or at least contending.

"I want that too. I want to be in the playoffs every year. That's where you make a name for yourself. It's not about the Cy Young awards and MVP awards. It's about winning championships. You want to be in a place where you have a chance to win.

"And when we were winning, with the fans and the passion they have for sports, it was the best place to be.''

The sad part is that he is completely right. It would be a crime if the Phillies didn't give Hamels, who is entering the prime of his career, a shot at winning another title or numerous ones at best. The Phillies haven't been to the postseason since 2011 and by the looks of it they may not be there for the next five-ten years. By then Hamels' contract will have expired and he'd be headed out the door anyway.

With numerous rumors that Hamels was being shopped to teams such as the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Padres, Hamels stated that he's "all ears" when it comes to going to a winning team and that the Phillies need to move on from him and let his career path go the way it wants.

"In the grand scheme of things,'' Hamels says, "we have a very small window in our lives. You understand this is going to end. The Phillies will go on forever, but we know our careers are going to end.

"And I want to go to a place where I can win again."

Hamels has four years and $96 million left on his contract as well as a fifth-year option that would make it worth $110 million. In his contract he has 20 teams on his no-trade list. The only American League teams that can trade for him without his consent are the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

The fact is that the Phillies are going to ship Hamels somewhere this season and another fact of the matter is that they're going to ask top dollar for him. It's up to the front office and even Hamels' input on where he will finish out the 2015 season.

"There's no better feeling than winning, and we enjoyed that for a long time in Philadelphia,'' Hamels says. "I just want to win again. I'm no different than other guys. You just want to be in a position to win.